The present invention relates to an arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container, a method for indicating a degassed condition and a degassing tool suitably used therewith with which everybody can apparently identify that the aerosol container is in a degassed condition.
Flon gas is being replaced by combustible liquid petroleum gas (LPG) for use as filled gas (aerosol gas) in aerosol containers in view of problems of environmental influences, and accompanying such changes, the number of accidents, particularly fires of garbage trucks, has increased of which reasons are considered to be gas remaining in wasted aerosol containers. It has thus been conventionally instructed through Cleaning Departments of respective Self-governing Bodies xe2x80x9cto completely discharge filled gas (aerosol gas) by forming holes on containers when disposing of aerosol containersxe2x80x9d.
However, accidents repeatedly happened in which containers exploded when consumers tried to form holes thereon so that it is recently being instructed xe2x80x9cto dispose of containers without forming holes but after using the contents upxe2x80x9d (see Nihon Keizai Shinbum of Jun. 3, 1999).
Various types of degassing tools arranged for easily spraying out the entire aerosol gas containers without forming holes on aerosol containers are conventionally known. Reference might be made, for instance, to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 324661/1996, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 53289/1998 or Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 118098/1999.
However, while dangers occurring at the time of forming holes in containers are eliminated when degassing aerosol containers by using such degassing tools, it is impossible, on the other hand, to identify at a glance whether such containers really been degassed or not since holes are not made in the containers. While many persons engaged in the cleaning or garbage-collecting business confirm whether residues of aerosol contents are present or not by shaking discarded containers, it is the case with many aerosol containers such as those for insecticides that the contents (fluid) remain somewhat even after complete discharge of filled gas (aerosol gas) (dangers of explosion do not exist in case gas is completely discharged), so that it cannot be identified whether containers have been degassed or not after all. Consequently, persons engaged in the cleaning or garbage-collecting business will not collect discarded aerosol containers, considering that these containers have contents remaining though actually being degassed.
The present invention thus aims to provide an arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container, a method for indicating a degassed condition and a degassing tool suitably used therewith with which everybody can identify that the aerosol container is in a degassed condition even though degassing has been performed without forming any holes.
For achieving the above objects, the arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container according to the present invention is so arranged that a degassing tool or a part thereof is attached to a degassed aerosol container such that a stem of the aerosol container is maintained in a pressed condition and that it is indicated on an outer surface of the degassing tool or the part thereof that degassing has been completed.
This arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container might, for instance, be so arranged that a degassing tool with an indication denoting a degassed condition on an outer surface thereof is attached to an aerosol container and degassing is performed by maintaining a stem thereof in a pressed condition, and that the degassing tool is maintained in the attached condition also upon completion of degassing, wherein there can be suitably employed a degassing tool with which the aerosol container can be maintained in a spraying condition when the tool is attached to the aerosol container, the tool having an indication denoting a degassed condition on a portion constituting the outer surface when the tool is attached to the aerosol container.
According to the above-described arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container, the method for indicating a degassed condition and the degassing tool, it is possible to indicate that the aerosol container is in a degassed condition by simply maintaining the degassing tool or a part thereof at the container also upon completion of degassing, and it is possible for everybody to identify at a glance that the container has been degassed. Since persons engaged in the cleaning or garbage-collecting business can also easily identify that the aerosol container is in a degassed condition, such persons might collect these aerosol containers in a carefree manner as posing no danger of explosion or fire.
The xe2x80x9cpart of the degassing toolxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ca portion including the indication denoting a degassed conditionxe2x80x9d of the above-described arrangement for indicating a degassed condition might, for instance, be arranged to be separable from the degassing tool, and upon completion of degassing, one part of the degassing tool is separated while the remaining part of the degassing tool is maintained attached to the aerosol container whereby it is possible to indicate by the indication on the outer surface of this part of the degassing tool that degassing has been performed.
With this arrangement, the degassing tool (the portion including the indication denoting a degassed condition) is enabled to assume a more smaller and compact size and can be quite conveniently collected and stored without being bulky.
For arranging a part of the degassing tool in a separable manner, a cutting preparatory line such as a perforation or a thin portion might be formed to surround or constitute the portion to be separated such that this portion can be easily separated.
The xe2x80x9cdegassing tool or a part thereof including the indication denoting a degassed conditionxe2x80x9d of the arrangement for indicating a degassed condition, that is, the part of or the entire degassing tool which is ultimately attached to the aerosol container is preferably formed of a material of the same discard group as that of the aerosol container. In this manner, the entire aerosol container with the degassing tool being attached thereto is formed of a material of the same discard group to be favorable in view of discrete collection of garbage for purposes of seregation into groups and might be forwarded to subsequent treatments (e.g. recycling treatments) without the need of discretion after collection.
The term xe2x80x9cmaterial of the same group as that of the aerosol containerxe2x80x9d indicates that the material should be of a group that no inconveniences are caused at the time of collecting garbage, particularly discrete collection thereof; in case the aerosol container is, for instance, made of aluminum, the tool should be of metallic material, preferably light metallic material, and most preferably of aluminum material. In case a part of the degassing tool (portion indicating a degassed condition) is made of aluminum and the remaining portions of the degassing tool is made by injection molding of plastic, it is possible to perform, for instance, the following steps: the portion indicating a degassed condition made of aluminum is preliminarily fitted into an injection mold when performing injection of plastic, aluminum and plastic are integrally formed, and a cutting preparatory line such as a perforation is formed as to surround the portion indicating a degassed condition made of aluminum thereafter.
It should be noted that in case of forming the degassing tool of synthetic resin, it is preferable to use biodegradable plastic in view of compatibility with the environment. Examples of such biodegradable plastics are aliphatic polyester such as polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polybutylene succinate, polyethylene succinate or polyglycol acid, polyvinyl alcohol, polyamino acid groups, biopolyester, bacteria cellulose, starch, and cellulose acetate. However, the synthetic resin for use in forming degassing tools is not limited to the above biodegradable plastic.
In the arrangement for indicating a degassed condition, a method for indicating a degassed condition and a degassing tool of the present invention, it is preferable to maintain the stem in the pressed condition also upon completion of degassing by maintaining the degassing tool or a part of the degassing tool attached to the aerosol container. The degassing tool is preferably arranged that the portion with the indication denoting a degassed condition includes an engaging portion and a gas spraying hole for maintaining the stem in the pressed condition when the tool is attached to the aerosol container. This is due to the fact that the danger of explosion can be more reliably eliminated since the interior of the container is maintained in an open condition when the aerosol container is discarded with the stem being maintained in the pressed condition, that is, in a gas spraying condition. This further enables it to confirm that the container is in a degassed condition not only through the indication denoting a degassed condition but also through its actual appearance, and persons engaged in the cleaning or garbage-collecting business might collect such aerosol containers in an even more carefree manner.
In the present invention, the arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container is also obtained by engaging and attaching an indicating body with an indication denoting a degassed condition to the aerosol container in a degassed condition.
This arrangement for indicating a degassed condition of an aerosol container might be so configured that an indicating body with an indication denoting a degassed condition is attached to the degassing tool in a separable manner, that the indicating body is engaged and attached to the aerosol container simultaneously with performing degassing of the aerosol container by using the degassing tool, and that the degassing tool is separated from the aerosol container upon completion of degassing and a degassed condition is indicated by the indicating body engaged at the aerosol container.
It should be noted that in the arrangement for indicating a degassed condition, the method for indicating a degassed condition and the degassing tool of the present invention, the form of the xe2x80x9cdegassing toolxe2x80x9d is not particularly limited and also includes a degassing tool concurrently used as aerosol cap which might be used as an aerosol cap in normal conditions and as a degassing tool when turning the same upside down. The style, expression or design of an xe2x80x9cindication denoting a degassed conditionxe2x80x9d is arbitrary so long as it is capable of informing a degassed condition. While it is of course possible to express this purport in letters, colors or designs might, for instance, be indicated in case it can be recognized or it has been agreed upon that certain colors or designs indicate a degassed condition.
On the other hand, the present invention also provides a degassing tool for an aerosol container in which the degassing tool includes an engaging portion with which a stem can be maintained in a pressed condition at the time the tool is engaged with an aerosol container, and a gas spraying hole, and the aerosol container being maintained in a spraying condition when the tool is attached to the aerosol container, wherein a cutting preparatory line is formed to surround the engaging portion to enable at least a portion including the engaging portion to be separable from a degassing tool main body. While this degassing tool does not have an indication denoting a degassed condition, it is apparent to everybody that the container is in a degassed condition with the separating body being attached to the container. Thus, it is possible to inform a degassed condition of the container by separating the portion surrounded by the cutting preparatory line (cutoff body) upon completion of degassing and by keeping the cutoff body attached to the aerosol container to be discarded. Moreover, since it is also possible to know that the stem is maintained in a pressed condition and the interior and exterior of the container are maintained in a communicated condition, it is possible for everybody including persons engaged in the cleaning and garbage-collecting business to visually confirm the arrangement of a degassed condition with one""s own eyes.